What's new
What's new

Hardinge Tool Post & Holders Options?

ChipChaff

Cast Iron
Joined
Dec 15, 2007
Location
Mid-Wisconsin
Hi all:

I just picked up a DV-59 and am looking for a quick change tool post and a variety of holders. It came with a DSB compound cross slide which, according to the file Hardinge emailed me (within five minutes of asking for it!), takes an L18 tool post. Holders L19, L21, L21-50, L23, and L23-75 would be useful to me. I hit the places I normally check - here, eBay, Google, Yahoo's Hardinge group, but to no avail - not even old posts.

Anybody know where used Hardinge stuff shows up more regularly - or is it just a matter of patience and perseverance?

Does anyone besides Hardinge make a quick change tool holder that will fit the slot on a DSB compound?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Chip
 
Before I was able to buy the real Hardinge QC tool post set, I used an English Dickson 00 size QC tool post for about twenty years. It worked very well on my 9" Hardinge lathes. I bought it, with lots of spare holders, in London from a Myford dealer in 1978. Myford sold them for use on their Super 7 lathe. Emco also sold them for use on the Maximat V10 lathe and I kept a second set from a Maximat I used to own. These Dickson tools are very high quality and probably cost as much as the Hardinge tools if you bought them new now. They are also more rare in the US than the Hardinge tools. There are Indian and Chinese cheap copies, though still not seen in the US. The three types of Dickson holders are for 3/8 square tool bits, boring bars and cutoff tools. I have never seen other types of holder. I made a spacer to raise the center block up about 3/8 inch and I made a T-bolt to fit the Hardinge cross slide.

The advantage of the Hardinge tool post is that they make straight and diamond knurling holders and a holder for 5/8 (and bushings for smaller) boring bars.

Larry
 
Anybody know where used Hardinge stuff shows up more regularly - or is it just a matter of patience and perseverance?

From what I've seen, patience and perseverence. At least, assuming you are set on having your DV-59 tooling "pure". On the other hand, you'll be able to do just as good a job with an Aloris or other QC toolpost. I have been using a BXA size on my HLV-H for years now, and though I had a couple of the L-* toolholders for a while, the design always seemed lightweight to me so I never pursued the toolpost. Gave 'em to a friend. The Aloris or equivalent has a much wider variety of holders available, and you see them all the time on ebay. 'Course, if you want to keep your lathe all Hardinge, then ignore the above. ;)

- Mike
 
You can use the hardinge toolposts they work fine if a bit unconventional.

An aloris AXA is the correct size for that machine however. You would be
quite sastisfied with the fit I think.

Jim
 
I've run both the AXA, and the stocker Hardinge QC
ones on my ESM-59. The hardinges are smaller and *maybe*
a bit less solid. They are a very good fit on the machine
however.

Nothing beats industry standards, in the form of the
aloris, though.

Another nice setup is the turret that hardinge sold for
those machines, if you confine yourself to only four
tools:

ESM59_4.jpg


Often seen on ebay. Most folks don't realize it will
index to four positions, but can be locked down at any
intermediate position as well.

Jim
 
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]I used one like that for years on the South Bend - works great! The Aloris style holders are pretty flexible, though - beyond the "normal" toolholders, here's my "minimum essential" set to cover just about every eventuality: MT-2 holder on the right (has a tap holding chuck in it at the moment); hefty (1") boring bar holder in the rear (has a compressive knurl in it); and in my view the most useful of all - the 5C collet chuck at front center.. Actually, I forgot I still have one Hardinge toolholder - the C-30A cutting style knurling tool that is in the Aloris holder on the far left.

Aloris.jpg


Sorry for the mess...in the chuck is one of those totally silly things we HSMs tend to make at times - a partially finished stainless steel adapter to mount a bird feeder on a 1.25" post. $200 worth of adapter for a $10 bird feeder...arrrgh.

- Mike
[/FONT]
 
Jim, Mike,
Thanks for the info, especially the pictures. I'm a little confused on one point though - I looked at the Aloris website yesterday and I thought their AXA chart showed a minimum of 2.5 inches from the top surface of the compound to the centerline of the lathe. I measured mine and I've got 1.000" - is my set-up odd or am I missing something?
Also, I'm not at all a Hardinge purist - form follows function.
Thanks again for marking up.
Chip
 
I'm a little confused on one point though - I looked at the Aloris website yesterday and I thought their AXA chart showed a minimum of 2.5 inches from the top surface of the compound to the centerline of the lathe. I measured mine and I've got 1.000" - is my set-up odd or am I missing something?Chip

That chart is confusing - it's actually for the toolpost shown above it. The drawing below the chart is only for you to insert your own dimensions for ordering. In other words, "C" is the height of the toolpost (2.25") but you can adjust the tool holder quite a distance in that vertical space. Even my BXA toolholders will drop down so the top of the tool is about an inch above the compound, so the smaller AXA should fit easily.

- Mike
 
Here's an example of the AXA (really, it's an enco clone, but the size is correct) mounted
on the cross slide of an ESM59. There's a 3/8 inch square toolbit in the holder
and the top surface is on center to the spindle, as shown by the stock in the spindle
with a point turned on it.

The scale got a bit washed out but it's in inches, and there's roughly and
equal amount of space above and below the tool holder, on the toolpost slide.

ESM59_5.JPG


Jim
 
AHHHHHHHH, you guys ROCK! That's a big relief! It's great to have options other than full Hardinge retail.
Thanks so much for the clarification and new references.
Chip
 
Just a quick follow-up - a kind PM member has hooked me up with a tooling package that will let me do just about everything I've contemplated and then some.
I really appreciate all the smart, experienced, and helpful folks who share their knowledge here.
Thanks again!
Chip
 








 
Back
Top